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President Bush Saturday pressed Congress to update a security law that would ease restrictions on secret surveillance of terror suspects, a proposal that many Democrats and civil liberty groups are viewing with great suspicion. Bush said the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 was “badly out of date,” and Congress should pass the updates his administration proposed before it leaves for recess in August. “Every day that Congress puts off these reforms increases the danger to our nation,” Bush said in his weekly radio address. “Our intelligence community warns that under the current statute, we are missing a significant amount of foreign intelligence that we should be collecting to protect our country.” The administration’s updates to FISA focus heavily on modern technologies not around when the bill was passed almost 30 years ago, such as cellular phones and e-mail. Bush argues that the extended powers his proposal grants are essential to national security. “It will streamline administrative processes so our intelligence community can gather foreign intelligence more quickly and more effectively, while protecting civil liberties,” Bush said. However, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) stated this week that the Bush Administration abuses the current FISA law and should not be granted further powers. “This supposed self-examination, with no involvement by the courts, no report to Congress, and no other outside check, essentially translates to ‘trust us,’” Leahy said. “With a history of civil liberties abuses and cover-ups, this Administration has squandered our trust.” Civil liberties advocates are also opposing the proposal. Caroline Fredrickson, director of the Washington legislative office of the American Civil Liberties Union said it is “outrageous” for the administration to say it needs additional powers “to wiretap without warrant,” adding that FISA must not be modernized but should instead be followed. “This is not the time to hand even more power to an administration that has permitted the wholesale abuse of civil liberties; has denied the legislative branch’s constitutionally mandated oversight role and refused to hold the attorney general accountable for a series of conflicting claims that defy logic, the law and common sense,” said Fredrickson. “The only thing more outrageous than the administration’s call for even more unfettered power is a Congress that would consider giving it to them.” House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) supported the president’s plan and accused Democrats of “stonewalling” GOP efforts to update FISA. “It is imperative that Congress close the gaping loophole in our intelligence law,” Boehner said. “Instead of shielding terrorists, we should be doing everything we can to protect each and every American from potential future attacks.” |
